Time to admit that lifting is mostly done for cosmetic reasons? (gyms, reduce)
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News flash; makeup is used primarily for cosmetic reasons. The majority of haircuts are rumored to done for appearance sake alone. Surveys suggest that people are buying clothes for how they look wearing them. Experts agree that some people diet to improve their appearance. Studies show that some people work out to look better.
No one ever pretends that those things are done for any other reason.
I think many men who "lift" do it because they like that look and they want to impress other men. I am not sure women are part of that equation.
I'd say that some women like that look. I would agree that no women - or extremely few women, like the "flabby couch potato beer belly look".
Men who are "peacocks" and check themselves out in glass windows while walking by - regardless of how perfect or imperfect that reflection might be to other people, are a bit of a turn off to most women.
I never knew that anyone "bought" that it was done for health. The medical community believes two things - exercise is good, and extra weight is bad. Too much bulk, including muscle, is not good for the heart.
No one ever pretends that those things are done for any other reason.
But unlike those things, lifting weights can and does have a non-vanity related purpose.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12
I think many men who "lift" do it because they like that look and they want to impress other men. I am not sure women are part of that equation.
There are probably a lot of guys and gals alike that lift for aesthetic reasons. I don’t think people are trying to dispute that. But there are a lot of different people lifting weights for a lot of different reasons. As for impressing other men I suppose this may be true of some gay men working out. For me I see no value at all in impressing other men. At this stage in life impressing women isn’t even a concern anymore. Well, just one I guess. As stated, there are some exercises I do in large part because my wife has told me she likes the results I get from those exercises. I do care about impressing my wife.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12
I'd say that some women like that look. I would agree that no women - or extremely few women, like the "flabby couch potato beer belly look".
Just like there are fit men out there who like plus size women (I know several and am one myself) there are a lot of fit women out there who like the “big handsome” body type. Again, I know several.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12
Men who are "peacocks" and check themselves out in glass windows while walking by - regardless of how perfect or imperfect that reflection might be to other people, are a bit of a turn off to most women.
I never knew that anyone "bought" that it was done for health. The medical community believes two things - exercise is good, and extra weight is bad. Too much bulk, including muscle, is not good for the heart.
Maybe you don’t know anyone but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there, or that they aren’t right. The “too much bulk” thing you mention? You likely have no clue, but have you ever thought about how hard it would be to put on that kind of bulk? The vast majority of guys will have to work insanely hard just to keep it at 10-12% body fat. Especially as they age. Cases where one has lifted and bulked to the point of heart problems are sonfew and far between they're not even relevant unless by context the discussion is about outliers.
I think many men who "lift" do it because they like that look and they want to impress other men.
There arent any heterosexual men that lift to impress other men. If that was the case, they wouldnt help each other out in the gym. But maybe youre projecting that you do certain things to impress other women?
But unlike those things, lifting weights can and does have a non-vanity related purpose.
There are probably a lot of guys and gals alike that lift for aesthetic reasons. I don’t think people are trying to dispute that. But there are a lot of different people lifting weights for a lot of different reasons. As for impressing other men I suppose this may be true of some gay men working out. For me I see no value at all in impressing other men. At this stage in life impressing women isn’t even a concern anymore. Well, just one I guess. As stated, there are some exercises I do in large part because my wife has told me she likes the results I get from those exercises. I do care about impressing my wife.
Just like there are fit men out there who like plus size women (I know several and am one myself) there are a lot of fit women out there who like the “big handsome” body type. Again, I know several.
Maybe you don’t know anyone but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there, or that they aren’t right. The “too much bulk” thing you mention? You likely have no clue, but have you ever thought about how hard it would be to put on that kind of bulk? The vast majority of guys will have to work insanely hard just to keep it at 10-12% body fat. Especially as they age. Cases where one has lifted and bulked to the point of heart problems are sonfew and far between they're not even relevant unless by context the discussion is about outliers.
When people are overweight, the heart works harder. If someone is overweight because of a huge amount of muscle, the heart is stressed. It isn't my opinion, that's a fact. You can Google that.
I do know of men who like "plus sized women". I don't think that's all that unusual. Women who like guys with big beer guts, and specifically look for such me? Hey, it could exist. Which was why in my first post, I did not say "never" or "always". I just think it's more unusual.
Well, working out with weights does have health benefits. You lose muscle every year after a certain age (age 30, I think?). Working out with weights helps counter that.
Weight workouts increase muscle, which in turn burns more calories and helps with weight control.
Yeah, guys who overly focus on weightlifting and such, and look in the mirror a lot, are probably doing it for looks. But at least it's not a wasted effort, since there are health benefits.
This! - While there were some cosmetic benefits, but, I've always hated running; plus weight lifting always worked better and faster for me as a means of increasing muscle mass and burning calories to help with weight control.
Now, at a later stage of life, I find that some degree of weight lifting is still better for retaining some muscle mass and dealing with belly fat-- Plus, I still hate running.
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Still not as many as there are threads criticizing people for their reasons for weight training.
